<p>Recently I met with my school’s college counselor, who has worked in such a capacity for over a decade and is reasonably well-connected (e.g. she’s visited schools in Nova Scotia, Canada; she’s been up to visit Williams on Williams’s dime), so I do trust her judgment. And she told me that she thinks I’ll be “bored” at schools like Lewis & Clark, Denison, Mary Washington, etc.–that I need to find my “academic peers.” I have the profile for and will be applying to the top schools, but I also want to add a financial safety/match to the bottom of the list. Need-based aid will be tight–probably manageable, but very tight–so I want to have merit options. Unfortunately, affordable would be 10-15k COA, requiring merit aid close to full tuition.</p>
<p>So, what should I do? The state flagship will remain on my list as a financial safety, of course, but it’s a terrible fit for innumerable reasons. I don’t know of any intellectual LACs (I want small classes taught by professors and a tight-knit community) that are also generous with the required amount of merit aid. And I remain ambivalent about coming in as top of the class; I am self-motivated, but wouldn’t I get more out of class discussions with “academic peers” as my counselor says?</p>
<p>Summary: parental thoughts/anecdotes solicited on both my listed schools (particularly L&C and Denison) and other possible academically-demanding LACs that offer close to full tuition in merit. Much thanks in advance.</p>
<p>OOS flagships are most likely larger than my own state flagship (16k students), which would not replicate an LAC experience. I am willing to look at honors programs/colleges, but I am skeptical as to how much honors would benefit a student who really truly wants and belongs in an LAC (I know myself well and this is what I want, despite the objections of my prestige-addled parents).</p>
<p>Will look at Rhodes, although off the top of my head I believe it may be a poor social fit (well, so is Denison–I’ll survive).</p>
<p>I know nothing about the money, but my pretty intellectual son who doesn’t quite have the grades for the tippy-top schools has looked at Carleton, Reed, Grinnell, Vanderbilt, Brandeis, Tufts, Vassar, Bard, Macalaster, SUNY Geneseo, Bates. Some are too small or too rural for him.</p>
<p>I’ve looked over the entire COPLAC list at least three times; NCF is too weak in CS, W&M is way too competitive for a financial safety, and St. Mary’s is not affordable (merit maxes at in-state tuition, so the best offer would leave a 22k COA last time I checked). UM-Morris looked like a strong possibility for a while, but weak in my academic interests.</p>
<p>Grinnell does not get that close to full tuition, although I will be applying for a shot at affordable need-based aid; the 2k per year loan cap is nice.</p>
<p>Zetesis: Yes, exactly.</p>
<p>@mathmom’s list: For the benefit of future searchers, I’ll detail the merit offerings at those that I’ve investigated (a good number). Carleton, Reed, Vassar, Bates, and Tufts are essentially need-only. Grinnell I’ve covered; Bard offers decent merit for science majors only. I know nothing about Vandy (not a good fit for me, being southern and Greek-heavy and outside ideal size parameters). Brandeis does offer some full-tuition scholarships, although they are very competitive (have also ruled out personally due to religion). That leaves SUNY Geneseo, about which I’ve heard horrors regarding NY state budget cuts. The 19:1 student/faculty ratio is also worrying.</p>
<p>I’m also considering Canadian LACs, which would be affordable because I’m a Canadian citizen and thus qualify for domestic tuition rates. Mount Allison is the current leader there, though I am concerned that they list most English courses (all except 400-level) as “lecture” rather than “seminar.” Still overall an adequate fit; can anyone suggest hidden intellectual gems in the U.S.?</p>
<p>Grinnell has generous financial aid, and many merit scholarships in addition to being need blind - full need.
Of 1636 students, 986 were determined to have need (all of whom got need based financial aid), 425 had no need and received merit scholarships. The average merit scholarship was almost $11K for those without demonstrated need. (From Grinnell’s Common Data Set).</p>
<p>^ Indeed, Grinnell has very generous FA policies. If I were shooting for merit-only in my situation, though, I wouldn’t bother because even stacking makes 29k merit a remote/impossible chance.</p>
<p>Tulane is a good merit school and I’ve heard that bright kids <em>work</em> there. Washington and Lee offers good merit-- but it might not be a good match if southern and greek doesn’t suit you. </p>
<p>I will give you another strategy-- if need-based is “workable,” why don’t you focus on need-based schools that have no loans? That way, if you need a bit extra, you could take out one loan a year and bridge the gap. That would open up the door to some top schools (Amherst, Colby, Bowdoin).</p>
<p>I think what you’re looking for–LACs that are top-tier and award a fair number of full-ride merit scholarships–are rare. Would schools that have no-loan policies be more appealing (e.g., Bowdoin or Colby), or a school like Lafayette, which has a lot of merit scholarships in the $16,000 range (10% of the incoming class)? Another one that comes to mind with a number of scholarships in the 15-20K range is Clark University. There are a few grad students, but this translates into lots of research opportunities for ambitious undergrads in the strong majors, and still an LAC-like feel.</p>
<p>if you would consider oos flagships, univ of alabama has automatic scholarships and honors college. So does UAB and Auburn. UT austin and UTdallas reduced your tuition to instate if you receive even 1K of merit. (i am assuming as you said that you have applied to top schools that you would qualify for more) and they both have honors colleges.
as a side note… i noticed an aversion to southern schools… i too am canadian but have lived in the south for 25 years… don’t believe all the stereotypes you may have heard</p>
<p>I will look into Tulane, although I don’t know about New Orleans (probably Southern bias there). And I’m definitely applying to need-based schools–those, however, cannot in any way be considered “safeties.” I’m not looking for top-tier LACs so much as intellectual LACs. I did look at Clark, but the merit isn’t enough.</p>
<p>My concerns regarding the south have a good basis, I think. Race is one factor (Asian) but not a deal-breaker; however, I do NOT want to live in the Bible Belt for four years. I am openly atheist and while I don’t try to convert people, if someone mentions religion around me I will engage and question them–I treat faith as an academic topic and I have chosen not to respect the taboos around arguing/defending one’s religious beliefs. I have a feeling this kind of behavior isn’t exactly common or entirely welcome in the Deep South.</p>
<p>ok, i agree asian probably would not be that big a “problem”. certainly the majority of people in the south are raised in a church and have quite firm beliefs. while a common question for you here would be…what church do you go to… (i get that question at least once a week… majority of people accept my answer that I dont go to church) However out of common courtesy I do not question their beliefs and rights. The southern culture has revolved around family and church for generations…social life for many, as in this dry county, revolves around church activities. If you understand that, it is not a question of topic taboo, it is a question of culture. as you would not like someone to question asian cultural values, most would not want you to question their values. It is definitely more than an academic topic here and i fear your inability to “respect” that would make your unhappiness in the south a self-fullfilling prophesy. When going into someone elses “home” you respect their rules.
Your “good basis” may serve you well to avoid the south, but its a pity as again even though i dont go to church or practice any religion, the majority of my experiences in the south have been good and religion has nothing to do with it unless you make it so.
Hope that doesnt sound harsh, you seem to have calmly examined your own beliefs but i feel it needed some counter argument.</p>
<p>jester its not strange now, its like asking what restaurant do you go to… if that is the basis of your culture or your social life. it is not asked as a means to “convert” it is asked just like any other question. Its not judgemental its just a question. they are not questioning my beliefs just making conversation. I am able to say i dont go to church with no problem.</p>